Monday, June 1, 2009

2009 L'Eroica Registration Now Open

During the Giro D'Italia, the organizers of "L'Eroica" announced the opening of registrations for the event that will be held on October 4th, 2009.

L'Eroica an event that relives the heroic age of the "Giants of the Road". Participants ride on vintage racing bicycles and wearing the wool jerseys of bygone eras through some of the most beautiful roads of Chianti, Valdarbia and Valdorcia, with many sections of unpaved surfaces ("strade bianche", gravel & shale roads) which makes it possible to relive the atmosphere of "heroic" times of cycling.

Over the last few years the organizers permitted all types of bicycles and particpation grew to 3,000 cyclists. The organizers have now decided to re-impose rules permitting only vintage bikes. All riders must now start only with historical bikes; this "means road race bikes built before 1987, with switch lever on the oblique loom tube, toe clips and belts, external brake wires." These rules, and other details, can be found at http://www.eroica.it/index_en.php.

To accommodate the owners of non-vintage bikes the organizers have now created the "Cicloturistica Chianti Classic", to be held on June 28th. It will be possible to ride the 205 kms of the long distance (including 112 kms of white roads) with all types of bikes, including MTB. The first 3 runs of "Chianti Classic" will stay the same as previous editions (55, 86 and 130 kms) on paved roads, but the long run will follow the roads of original Eroica.

Although I loved the piece about the Brits riding the 3-speed Pashleys, this is a bit more heroic than I could manage. I am restoring a c. 1984 Raleigh Team Pro with Super Record parts and will have it on the road by next summer. L'Eroica 2010 is my target--I have a wool Raleigh jersey already! Enjoy the blog--keep up the great work and keep us inspired to make that trip to the True Promised Land of Cycling real.